O'Rourke was a licensed security guard

Receive the latest local updates in your inbox

The man accused of wounding two young Carlsbad girls appeared in court on Wednesday.

Brendan O'Rourke, 41, pleaded not guilty to all charges in Vista Superior Court in connection with a shooting last week at Kelly Elementary School. He was charged with seven counts of attempted murder and seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

School Shooting Suspect Enters Plea

O'Rourke faces 103 years in prison if convicted of all charges, according to prosecutors. Bail was set at $10 million by Judge Marshall Hockett.

Police believe O'Rourke armed himself with a .357-magnum revolver, jumped a fence and opened fire toward a crowded playground. The two girls, ages 6 and 7, were each shot in an arm. Both are still recovering but returned to school on Tuesday. Prosecutors said in court Wednesday that O'Rourke also fired at three young boys but missed. A shell casing got stuck in O'Rourke's gun, preventing him reloading the weapon, a deputy district attorney told the judge.

During the arraignment, the girls' mothers wept quietly, hugging at the conclusion of the hearing. The victims' families declined to speak to the media before or after the hearing.

Construction workers building a school cafeteria chased the gunman and held him until police arrived.

Carlsbad police said the walls of O'Rourke's apartment in Oceanside had been painted with the words "destroy" and "Christian," and other writing indicated he was angry with the insurance companies AIG and State Farm.

O'Rourke worked as a phone or computer technician at NTN Communications, a video entertainment firm in Carlsbad that installs games and video equipment in bars and restaurants, police Lt. Kelly Cain said.

The business is about two miles from Kelly Elementary, which serves one of the wealthiest communities in the U.S., a generally crime-free area about a 30-minute drive north of San Diego known for its scenic beaches and luxury resorts.

Oceanside police records show officers were dispatched to O'Rourke's apartment three times this year over noise complaints. Each time he refused to answer the door and the noise stopped.

O'Rourke, who is being held at the Vista Detention center, is due back in court on Nov. 17 for a preliminary hearing.